Over the last several years, individuals have been increasingly drawn to the advantages provided by electric dry shavers and beard and mustache trimmers. In general, the consuming public has found that the use of razors or other systems is extremely inconvenient for removing or shaving long hair and/or short hair or stubble, as commonly found in men's beards. In addition, with the ever increasing time constraints and commitments individuals typically encounter, a fast and effective shaving system is most desirable.
The discomfort as well as the time consumed in using shaving creams, soaps and gels, in order to provide a medium for which a razor can be used, requires more time and inconvenience than most individuals are willing or capable of experiencing. Furthermore, the cost of maintaining a sufficient supply of these products creates an additional burden. Consequently, electric dry shavers and beard and mustache trimmers have become increasingly popular, as well as battery-operated electric dry shavers and trimmers which can withstand exposure to moisture, thereby enabling individuals to simultaneously shower, as well as shaving their beards.
As the popularity of using electric dry shavers increased, numerous product designs with alternate constructions proliferated, in an attempt to improve and enhance the comfort and cutting efficiency of such shavers and trimmers. However, in spite of these products, difficulties have continued to exist in providing optimum results with optimum comfort.
In the area of use relating to beards and mustaches, electric trimmers have become increasingly popular. In general, these beard and mustache trimmers incorporate two cooperating cutting blades, each of which comprise a plurality of cutting teeth. By mounting the cutting blades in overlying cooperating engagement, with one blade being stationary and the other blade movable relative thereto, the desired cutting action is achieved.
In addition, these prior art beard and mustache trimmers also incorporate a comb member or element which co-operates with the cutting blades and is telescopically movable relative thereto. In this way, the length of the hair being cut by the cutting blades is precisely controlled.
Although beard and mustache trimmers of this nature have become increasingly popular and have been constructed in a wide variety of alternate configurations, difficulties have been encountered with many of these prior art constructions. In particular, prior art beard and mustache trimmers have been incapable of providing precise, detail cutting of specific areas, even though such areas are commonly found on certain beards and mustaches.
In an attempt to satisfy this consumer need, some prior art beard and mustache trimmers incorporate a small, separate, pop-up trimmer member which can be activated whenever desired by the user. This small pop-up trimmer is employed for providing the fine detail work sought by consumers.
Although these small, pop-up trimmers have been employed on some prior art beard and mustache trimmers, the drive system required for activating and operating the pop-up trimmer has been costly and cumbersome. In addition, a substantial increase in noise is also generated by the incorporation of pop-up trimmers, as well as a loss of power to the pop-up trimmer, due to the linkages required to achieve activation and operation of the pop-up trimmer.
Consequently, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a hair cutting and trimming system for beards and mustaches which incorporates a small, pop-up trimmer element which is easily activated and inexpensive to produce.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a hair cutting and trimming system for beards and mustaches having the characteristic features described above which is constructed in a manner wherein a single motor driven drive element is employed for operating both the main cutting blades and the pop-up trimmer.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a hair cutting and trimming system for beards and mustaches having the characteristic features described above which provides a pop-up trimmer having a direct linkage to the drive system and operates without any reduction of the power.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a hair cutting and trimming system for beards and mustaches having the characteristic features described above which operates without any increase in the noise level when the pop-up trimmer is engaged.
Other and more specific objects will in part the obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.